Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar Eckakmal.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Eckakmalxe2x80x99.
The new Poinsettia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Encinitas, Calif. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Poinsettia cultivars having flower bracts with desirable colors, uniform plant habit and excellent post-production longevity.
The new Poinsettia is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar Eckadria, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,725. The new Poinsettia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within a population of plants of the cultivar Eckadria on Jun. 17, 2000, in a controlled environment in Encinitas, Calif. The selection of this plant was based on its light red-colored flower bracts.
Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by terminal cuttings propagated in a controlled environment in Encinitas, Calif., since July, 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Eckakmalxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Eckakmalxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Inflorescences with light red-colored flower bracts that fade to pink with development.
2. Dark green-colored leaves.
3. Uniform and mounded plant habit.
4. Early flowering; natural season flower maturity date is mid to late November for plants grown in Encinitas, Calif.; response time, about 8 weeks.
5. Excellent post-production longevity.
Plants of the new Poinsettia are most similar to the parent, the cultivar Eckadria. Plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of the parent in flower bract coloration as plants of the cultivar Eckadria have red and pink bi-colored flower bracts.